Boat trailer boat hull guiding system

Abstract

A pair of opposite side guide members are mounted from opposite side rear portions of a trailer frame for guided shifting along upwardly convergent paths and the upper ends of the guide members include upwardly facing hull undersurface engaging and supporting heads oscillatably supported from the guide members for angular displacement relative thereto about axes extending generally longitudinally of the trailer frame. The guide members are yieldingly biased toward upper limit positions and the heads are oscillatable between first upright upwardly facing positions and second inclined limit positions with the heads facing in upwardly convergent directions inclined generally 45° relative to the horizontal. The heads are gravity biased toward the inclined limit positions thereof.

What is claimed as new is as follows: 
     
       1. In combination with a boat trailer frame defining front and rear ends, a longitudinal center line extending between said ends and opposite side hull undersurface support structures disposed on opposite sides of said center line and relative to which a boat hull may be advanced and reversed for loading and unloading said hull on and from said trailer frame, a pair of opposite side mount structures mounted from the rear end portion of said frame on opposite sides of said center line, a pair of elongated upwardly convergent guide members having longitudinal axes, said guide members being mounted from said mount structures for independent guided longitudinal shifting along said axes between upper and lower limit positions and yieldingly biased toward said upper limit positions, said guide members including upper end portions from which upwardly facing hull undersurface engaging and supporting heads are oscillatably supported for angular displacement relative to said guide members about first axes extending generally longitudinally of said trailer frame. 
     
     
       2. The boat trailer frame of claim 1 including mounting means supporting said mount structures from said trailer frame for independent lateral and vertical adjustment relative thereto as well as adjusted angular displacement relative to said frame about second axes extending longitudinally of said frame. 
     
     
       3. The boat trailer frame of claim 1 wherein said supporting heads include rollers supported therefrom for rotation about axes disposed transverse to said first axes. 
     
     
       4. The boat trailer frame of claim 1 wherein said mount structures each defines an upwardly opening tubular passage, said guide members being telescopingly received in said passages for longitudinal shifting relative thereto. 
     
     
       5. The boat trailer frame of claim 4 wherein said guide members each includes upper and lower relatively telescopingly engaged and longitudinally shiftable tubular members and said lower tubular members are telescopingly received in said passages, said upper and lower tubular members being extendable and retractable relative to said lower tubular member and tubular passage, respectively. 
     
     
       6. The boat trailer frame of claim 5 including elongated extendable and retractable gas strut means connected between said guide member and said lower tubular member and between said lower tubular member and said upper tubular member by which said guide members are yieldingly biased toward the upper limit positions thereof. 
     
     
       7. The boat trailer frame of claim 6 wherein said supporting heads include rollers supported therefrom for rotation about axes disposed transverse to said first axes. 
     
     
       8. The boat trailer frame of claim 3 wherein said mount structures each defines an upwardly opening tubular passage, said guide members being telescopingly received in said passages for longitudinal shifting relative thereto. 
     
     
       9. The boat trailer frame of claim 8 including mounting means supporting said mount structures from said trailer frame for independent lateral and vertical adjustment relative thereto as well as adjusted angular displacement relative to said frame about said axes extending longitudinally of said frame. 
     
     
       10. The boat trailer frame of claim 1 wherein said heads and the upper end portions of said guide members include coacting abutment means limiting angular displacement of said heads relative to said guide members between first limit positions with said heads in upright upwardly facing positions and second inclined limit positions with said heads facing upwardly in convergent directions inclined generally 45° relative to the horizontal.